Moral cohesion from local combatants requires moral clarity from the West.

By Rt Hon. David Jones MP

The Guardian recently reported that Major General Tim Cross, the most senior British officer involved in post-war planning in Iraq, echoed sentiments previously expressed by U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter when he said that the collapse of the town of Ramadi showed that the Iraqi army lacked the will to fight against the so-called Islamic State (ISIS).

On June 25, the member countries of the European Union will participate in a summit in Brussels. It is expected to be the scene of some energetic debate between the UK on the one hand and France and Germany on the other, regarding the future of the EU.

The White House has made a strong effort to downplay the apparent diplomatic snub that is Saudi King Salman’s decision not to attend this week’s Washington summit with Gulf Cooperation Council leaders. The Obama administration has indicated that they do not regard it as a snub and do not believe that the decision is in response to any substantive difference of opinion.

There is no doubt that France, as a nation, tends to get an unfair rap from time to time, being the butt of many jokes about a tendency to surrender. It is a silly stereotype that doesn’t stand up to historical scrutiny but, for some reason, it persists.

The memories of people who make fun of the country don’t extend either before or after World War II. But even with one’s focus lodged there, the broader context shouldn’t undermine the reality of France’s military strength or its political will. One remembers that when Paris fell to the Germans, the French never stopped fighting and its underground movement became legendary.